The Genius Tamer of the Academy

Chapter 19

“It’s already Han Siha’s turn.”

“Isn’t he definitely going to be placed in the Necromancy Department?”

“Well… considering what he’s been up to lately, anyone can see….”

“Yeah, anyone can see that he’s a Necromancy student through and through!”

Although his gloominess had disappeared, he still looked like someone far removed from goodness.

I overheard the murmuring of the students and let it pass.

I made my way to the podium, trying my best to hide my nervousness.

Buzzzz.

Up close, the glass orb looked even more mysteriously radiant.

The glass sphere had a hole at the top where the die could jump out.

“Are you ready?” asked Principal Ernest.

I nodded calmly. More eyes were on me than I had anticipated.

If I were the old Han Siha, everyone would be certain I’d end up in the Necromancy Department without a doubt.

However, today, the atmosphere was a bit different.

“Will it be Necromancy?”

“Or maybe not?”

Half the students hated me, the other half were simply curious.

I watched their intense speculation play out in real-time and couldn’t help but grin.

“Phew.”

I was ready. Let’s do this.

I slowly slid my hand into the glass sphere and grabbed the die.

Crackle.

At that moment, a tingling sensation ran up my arm.

It was the die analyzing my nature, making its judgment.

With a trembling hand, I clutched the die as it spun in the air.

The khaki-colored die, blank on all sides, began spinning rapidly, far faster than the force I had applied.

“Ooooh…”

“It’s got to be Necromancy.”

Spin, spin, spin.

The die, spinning so fast it was almost invisible, suddenly shot upward.

Flash!

And then, it shimmered in the air, changing colors.

From red to deep blue, to khaki, and then to yellow.

The swirling colors mixed chaotically before my eyes, creating a mesmerizing, almost magical light show.

For what felt like an eternity, though it was only about ten seconds, the die floated in the air.

Thud.

Without warning, the die fell back into my palm, and I barely managed to catch it.

“Huh… huh?”

All the students in the auditorium stared at the die in disbelief.

The die emitted a bright, unmistakable red light.

The students began to whisper.

“Magic… It’s the Magic Department!”

“Magic Department? How is that even possible…?”

I took a deep breath, clutching the die tightly in my hand.

Principal Ernest confirmed the result with a pleased smile.

“Han Siha, you have been assigned to the Magic Department.”

I did it.

* * *

“Han Siha got into the Magic Department?”

“Has the die finally lost it?”

“I told you he’d end up in Magic. Haven’t you heard the rumors? He even forgave that Creek guy. They say he’s actually pretty merciful, despite how he looks.”

“You actually believe that? You wouldn’t be saying that if you’d been the one he punched, you idiot!”

It was the reaction I expected.

I just didn’t think so many eyes would be on me over this.

I had been one of the strongest candidates for the Necromancy Department. Everyone knew me as such.

Seymour Parker, who had been assigned to Necromancy, was glaring at me with a dissatisfied expression.

Well, I didn’t have to worry about a Necromancy student I wouldn’t be dealing with anymore.

My body buzzed with excitement.

It felt like my life had just been extended by at least three years.

“…Nice.”

I clenched my fist and pumped it into the air, feeling the same satisfaction as when I’d succeeded in getting into college. I didn’t care what the murmuring students were saying.

As soon as I stepped out of the auditorium, a familiar face popped up beside me.

Adela approached with her short hair swaying.

“Congratulations.”

“Huh?”

“We’ll be seeing each other in the Magic Department from now on. I was a bit surprised, though.”

Adela’s lips curled into a slight smile.

Even though she didn’t say it outright, her expression seemed relieved.

“Why? Were you hoping I’d end up in the Magic Department? Be honest.”

“Yes.”

She didn’t hesitate for even five seconds.

I stopped in my tracks, caught off guard by her straightforwardness.

Adela smiled and turned her head.

“Why? Is that a problem?”

“No, it’s not that. But, uh, could you give me a little warning before saying something like that?”

“If you’d gone to Necromancy, we’d have fought every day. And every day, you’d have lost to me.”

Adela’s calm remark sent a chill down my spine.

Of course, I had hoped for a more heartwarming comment. Instead, she was already planning our practice duels, where she’d beat me senseless.

That’s just too much.

As I grumbled to myself, Adela continued speaking.

“But honestly, I expected you to end up in the Magic Department.”

Huh?

What’s with this nonchalant reaction?

Why are you calmer about this than I am?

Adela took a sip of her chocolate milk and spoke calmly.

“I suspected it since the dungeon. The magic you used there—it was too different from dark magic.”

The dungeon… that was the first battle I’d shown in front of Adela after possessing Han Siha’s body.

Back then, I could only use the most basic, really basic, white magic. So, in a way, what she said made sense.

Adela surely knew that too.

When I looked at her with a puzzled expression, she clarified my confusion.

“I’m not talking about the type of magic.”

“Then what?”

“The Necromancy Department attacks to kill, but the Magic Department attacks to protect. You were the latter.”

Ah.

I see.

Ah.

“Wait a second.”

That…

That sounded oddly familiar.

As I mulled over Adela’s words, a rather unpleasant memory flashed through my mind.

‘You fought to kill, but we fought to save.’

‘That’s why we won. I wanted to be the one to throw dirt on your grave.’

Hah.

That’s what Han Siha heard just before he was buried, wasn’t it?

Suddenly, cold sweat began to run down my back.

“W-Why are you reacting like that?”

“Just… don’t say that to anyone else when they’re about to get buried….”

“Huh?”

Damn.

How am I supposed to survive with this much anxiety?

It feels like I’m hearing death flags every step I take.

As I turned the corner, lamenting the chilling sensation that appeared just when I’d almost forgotten about it—

“Hey, Han Siha?”

A shadow suddenly blocked my path.

Man, a lot of people are looking for me today.

Who is it this time?

I raised my head without much thought, but my body froze on the spot.

The man greeting me with a cheerful smile was none other than the protagonist of Smart Academy, whom I had just seen for the first time in the auditorium.

“Nice to meet you. You’re a Magic Department student too, right?”

It was Lee Han.

* * *

There are three main characters in Smart Academy.

Adela, the Earth Mage; Solia Arkenent, the Light Mage; and Lee Han, the all-rounder Mage.

Adela is passionate but emotional, Solia is sharp but soft-hearted. But Lee Han…

If I had to pick the most dangerous one among them, it would undoubtedly be the protagonist, Lee Han.

His sharp eyes seemed to pierce right through me. He was smiling, but I knew better than to take it at face value.

He was probably calculating in his head, figuring out what my plans were, or what kind of tricks I might be pulling.

Not because he was malicious.

He just had that extreme protagonist trait of decisively dealing with anyone who wasn’t on his side.

A trait that made him a true embodiment of a main character.

“That’s how it turned out,” I said.

“Were you always interested in the Magic Department? That’s a bit unexpected.”

“I found it quite interesting. After meeting that guy, my perspective shifted a bit.”

He probably realized I was referring to Basilus.

I smiled nonchalantly and shrugged.

What does it matter if I’m not the protagonist of this novel?

At the very least, I had to avoid acting like a third-rate villain.

Raising my reputation with Creek’s help had all been for this moment. I had no intention of getting entangled with these main characters.

I extended my hand with a smile.

“Let’s get along from now on.”

“The same goes for me,” Lee Han responded with a soft smile, nodding as he stepped back.

As the uncomfortable encounter seemed to be coming to a close, an unexpected comment slipped from his mouth.

“Oh, right. How’s your health?”

This can’t be…

“I heard you were trapped in a dungeon just before the practical exam.”

So, he knew about that too.

Well, I figured the rumor might have spread a bit. But it didn’t seem like he thought I was just following Adela around.

Adela probably didn’t tell him either.

I forced myself to maintain my composure and smiled slyly.

If I showed any sign of weakness here, it would only make it seem like I was admitting something.

“I nearly died but managed to survive.”

Which was true, after all.

“Really?”

“Want to try it yourself? It’s not a pleasant experience.”

Lee Han smiled awkwardly and nodded.

The suspicion in his gaze had eased a bit. But there was still one thing I needed to address.

If he had suspicions, there must have been a reason.

If he had seen the state of the destroyed dungeon or heard about it, he might have known that the slimes had been burnt to death.

The battle scars were completely different from Adela’s attack style.

If he was suspicious because of that…

I had to reveal at least one card of truth.

“Basilus saved me.”

“Your dragon?”

“Yeah. He helped Adela a lot. Even when I was panicking, he more than pulled his weight. Maybe that’s why I got assigned to the Magic Department. Though it’s not a perfect fit for me.”

“Oh.”

“Do I look like I don’t have any talent as a tamer to you?”

I took the initiative to steer the conversation in my direction.

Lee Han hesitated for a moment, then masked his expression.

“Well, judging by your practical exam scores, you seem more than capable.”

“That’s encouraging. I thought this year would be my last chance. I’m not really into moving around dead bones.”

“I didn’t know that.”

“I just didn’t have any other options. But now that I do, I’m going to give it one last try.”

I grinned and shrugged as if it were no big deal.

His eyes flickered slightly as if he hadn’t expected that response.

And then he said something more ordinary.

“…I hope you find that the Magic Department suits you. Let’s get along.”

“See you in class.”

No matter how sharp Lee Han’s mind was, he was still only fifteen.

I had binge-read Smart Academy and knew his personality inside out, so I was confident I had the upper hand.

I chuckled softly as I turned away, noticing the faint confusion in his gaze.

Phew.

It seems I’ve passed the first hurdle quite well.